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  • 8 wewks

    I don't understand how anybody could have had the surgery and post at 6 to 8 weeks that they are pain-free. I am off all narcotics and now the muscles on the convex side of my curves are like stabbing pains if I move in a wrong way. Also the tops of my pelvis are killing me. I can't sit for any length of time I have to lay flat on my back which is adding to the sensitivity and ache of my pelvis (by anchor points) It's getting old laying on my back and I'm getting a neck ache. How long til I can sit? I get up and walk around up the street but eventually have to lay flat. Ugh!!
    Last edited by cathydrew; 06-28-2015, 10:21 PM.
    Cathy
    2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
    54 years old March 5
    AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
    Surgery April 8 2015
    Presurgical curves T77 L66
    Post surgical T27 L22
    Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

  • #2
    Cathy...

    I think I've said this before, but I think you went off of pain medication too soon. If pain medication would allow you to have a little bit of normality in your life, it would be more beneficial than being stoic.

    Most people can sit in a comfortable chair for at least 45 minutes to an hour at 6-8 weeks.

    --Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      I can sit that long Linda, not entirely comfortable but sitting. So, you think it would be ok for me to occasionally take something for some normalcy? My doctors PA was kinda wanting me to get off painkillers and really, they turned me into a zombie, sleeping and crying all the time. I'm not stoic, I want normal. I also had bad withdrawal from the tramadol. I value your advice.

      Thanks.
      Cathy
      2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
      54 years old March 5
      AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
      Surgery April 8 2015
      Presurgical curves T77 L66
      Post surgical T27 L22
      Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by cathydrew View Post
        I can sit that long Linda, not entirely comfortable but sitting. So, you think it would be ok for me to occasionally take something for some normalcy? My doctors PA was kinda wanting me to get off painkillers and really, they turned me into a zombie, sleeping and crying all the time. I'm not stoic, I want normal. I also had bad withdrawal from the tramadol. I value your advice.

        Thanks.
        Yes, I think it's totally appropriate. I think narcotics can totally screw up our perception of pain, but I don't think that's your problem. Have you tried something other than tramadol? Even people who are super sensitive to a lot of narcotics can usually find one that doesn't have a lot of side effects. I also think you'll have fewer side effects if you're only taking a narcotic on an occasional basis. Have you tried oxycodone?

        --Linda
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

        Comment


        • #5
          Yes, I was on oxycodone fast acting and OxyContin long lasting before the tramadol. I still have some oxycodone. I'm going to try it next time I have a lot of pain, see how it affects me before my son's graduation. I still have tramadol too. I just need to be able to sit through the ceremony. I actually sat thru an entire Who concert but I was still on everything then.

          Thanks Linda <3
          Cathy
          2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
          54 years old March 5
          AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
          Surgery April 8 2015
          Presurgical curves T77 L66
          Post surgical T27 L22
          Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

          Comment


          • #6
            Good Cathy. It's good to get off of narcotics before getting addicted (which happens pretty quickly). You've already proved that you're not addicted, so narcotics on an as needed basis should significantly improve the quality of your life.

            --Linda
            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by dixiesmommie
              I don't believe addiction happens as easy as it is made to sound here.
              Dixie, you also have to consider addictive personality...... This can happen in many forms, living in a gambling town I have seen this first hand where gambling completely destroys people. I have also seen this happen with video games and a friend ended up in the hospital after a seizure. The docs wouldn’t say why it happened....but we knew why.

              We all make our own decisions on these things when we realize what they do to us.....

              We hope.

              Some of us are lucky to be able to quit, and it doesn’t matter what it is.

              If you read down, you will see obsessive tanning listed. It puts a new meaning on the word barbeque. LOL

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addictive_personality

              Ed
              49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
              Pre surgery curves T70,L70
              ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
              Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

              Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

              My x-rays
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

              Comment


              • #8
                I agree with ed as a part of. Addiction is within us. I grew up in the 60's with all of the freedoms of the time. I fortunately was able to bypass the drug culture of the time . However I am addicted to coffee. My son just told me he is 5 years sober. He is bipolar and addictive behavior is part of that. And we are fortunate that medication works for him. True addiction is a rough ride. I guess I would say know yourself and be honest with the doctor caring for you. It should help avoid problems.
                T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
                C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
                T2--T10 fusion 2/11
                C 4-5 fusion 11/14
                Right scapulectomy 6/15
                Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
                To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
                Broken neck 9/28/2018
                Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
                Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
                Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
                Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
                Osteotomy

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi...

                  I'm not the typical addictive personality. I found it relatively easy to stop smoking. I also found it relatively easy to stop caffeine. I have never had a problem with alcohol or gambling. With the exception of food, I can't recall ever having a problem getting off of something. After being on oxycontin less than 2 months (the same dose the whole time), and withdrawal was awful. If I didn't also feel a different kind of crappy being on oxycontin, the urge to go back would probably have been irresistible.

                  I think, for many of us, addiction is very difficult to recognize. I met a woman yesterday who has been on narcotics her entire adult life. She has a moderate scoliosis curve and has complained of diffuse back pain since she reached adulthood. She says that every part of her back from her waist to her shoulders gives her unrelenting pain. CTs and MRIs show nothing but the curves, including very little degeneration. She does not think she's addicted. She's never even considered it. I'm betting that most medical professionals would consider her addicted, but it's not something she can face. I don't think it's the same with everyone, but there's definitely a decent percentage of people who are addicted regardless of what they think. (I'm not saying this is true for anyone in particular.) I think addiction is not black and white and one size definitely does not fit all.

                  --Linda
                  Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                  Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by dixiesmommie
                    Very very surprised no one has researched the difference between addiction and physical dependency. They are clearly two different things. Two very different things!!!!

                    That was my thought too.
                    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I am glad this point about addiction vs dependency was brought up. As someone who has been in pain management for many years (since before there was even "pain management" I have had a lot of education about opiates and managing pain from my many doctors. What I have been told is that there is a clear distinction between being an "addict" or being "addicted" to a medication and being HABITUATED to it. Addicts have addict-like behavior toward their medications; for instance, they will resort to desperate, even illegal, measures to obtain higher and higher doses of medications AND they take the medications even when they are NOT in pain. The medication takes over their life, obtaining it becomes their priority, etc...this is addict-like behavior.

                      I have not seen any addict-like behavior toward pain medications on this forum.

                      Being habituated is something that can happen SOMETIMES when someone is on an opiate for a period of time. Since everyone's body chemistry is different, one can't say how long this takes, or if it even happens, as it will be different for every person. I am probably habituated to my current pain medication as I'm in a LOT of pain these days and have to take a certain amount daily to bear the pain. The way it was explained to me is that when I want to go off of a medication, or switch medications, I should slowly taper off. This way, I will avoid any unpleasant withdrawal. Now, this doesn't mean that one person won't have a harder time than another tapering off; just like one person can take an opiate and get good pain relief with little side effects, and someone else can take the same medication and pass out. Everyone is different, and everyone's reaction to medications will be different.

                      It's important to be properly educated about opiate medications. There is so much hysteria and ignorance in the public about them, just as there is about antibiotics, that on this forum, where so many of us are in dire pain - pain that is so bad that we wonder how much longer we can even live with it - I think we need to be careful about not making confusing statements, or act like there is a certain amount of time that you should or should not be on them. Some surgeons get upset when they see their Scoliosis surgery patients still on pain medicines and may even make their patients feel guilty about it. I understand this, as no surgeon wants to this their surgery has not completely cured their patient. But, we all have to live in our bodies and ultimately the decision as to the amount of pain we feel able to bear should rest with us, not anyone else.

                      Also, it should be noted that there is a world of difference between taking a pain medication when you are in pain and taking it when you are not. Your brain chemistry is actually different when you are in pain. Here's from webmd:

                      "Opioid pain medications are some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs. However, the risk that well-screened people will become addicted to opioid drugs when they're taking them for chronic pain is actually low, Reisfield says. A 2008 study that compiled previous research found that about 3% of people with chronic non-cancer pain using opioid drugs abused them or became addicted. The risk was less than 1% in people who had never abused drugs or been addicted."

                      No one wants to be on opiate pain medications. But for some of us, like myself, they are necessary for daily living. I'm not going to feel bad that I can't bear the pain and do without, I'm not going to feel guilty that I'm still on them, nor am I going to let myself be judged by ignorant people around me. I'm just going to take the meds and get on with my life as best as I can. And I'm not afraid to speak honestly to my Scoliosis community about this because I know I'm not the only one on this forum that must utilize these medications in order to survive in my body.
                      1st surgery: Fused T1-L3 in 1987 with contoured Harrington Rods. Rods broke at top.
                      2nd surgery: Re-done two weeks later; fused C7-L3. Left in chronic pain.
                      3rd surgery: Hardware removal 1997, but still pain for 30 years.
                      4th Surgery: Fused to the sacrum in 2016. Came out of surgery with left foot paralysis. (Drop Foot) Can't walk on my own.
                      I'm blessed to have found my peace and reason to live not from a husband or kids (I have none) but from God and within myself.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        GREAT post. Everybody needs to find their own way to live with their scoli. Good for you for not feeling guilty. There is no cure from our scoliosis, even with successful surgery.
                        Before 39* lumbar at age 18, progressed to 74* lumbar and 22* thoracic age 55
                        ALIF Jan 13, 2015, PLIF Jan 15, 2015 with Dr William Stevens, Honor Health
                        Fused T-7 to S-1 with pelvic fixation

                        After 38* lumbar

                        Xrays
                        Before: http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...7&d=1414268930

                        After: http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...6&d=1424894360

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I'm so glad I posted this because since I read all your responses and all the different people weighing in I have decided that I will just take an Oxy when I need it, sometimes I do sometimes I don't. Unfortunately I don't like the way makes my head feel. My doctor would not refill my prescription and told me at this point I can take Motrin and I took an 800 mg and it actually helped. I'm a definite lightweight and all medications usually work for me with the exception of Tylenol which does nothing. I guess I'm going to have to look into pain management at some point. On a different note I love this support group and this forum it has been priceless to me these last few years.
                          Cathy
                          2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
                          54 years old March 5
                          AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
                          Surgery April 8 2015
                          Presurgical curves T77 L66
                          Post surgical T27 L22
                          Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by cathydrew View Post
                            I love this support group and this forum it has been priceless to me these last few years.
                            We are glad you are here Cathy! Keep posting!

                            This forum has a well rounded group of highly experienced posters, patients and parents. I have also had support and learned quite a bit here through the years....

                            I’m hoping some of the patients coming up soon for revisions do well, (Jackie, Jenee, Etc) I kind of miss Susie Bee reporting on this and keeping it all straight.

                            You cant ask me, I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow.....LOL I take it day by day.......

                            Just keep smiling

                            Ed
                            49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
                            Pre surgery curves T70,L70
                            ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
                            Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

                            Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

                            My x-rays
                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I miss Susie Bee as well!!
                              Melissa

                              Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                              April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                              Comment

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